The research proposed in this document will contribute to our further understanding of how to construct complex organic molecules in an efficient manner. Since the ability to construct complex molecules of any given structure is of underlying significance to medicinal chemistry and of increasing significance to biochemistry and molecular biology, continued development of the field is of fundamental importance. The specific synthetic targets include petrosin, sarain A, aristone, discorhabdin D, and strychnine. The compounds to be synthesized are molecules of nature--alkaloids and acoleginins. The intent is not just to make a compound, but to do it in a way that it will teach something new about the architectural aspect of molecule-building.